Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Chenoweth, Emily Hello Goodbye.

Vacationing at an exclusive New Hampshire resort gives friends and family an opportunity to say their goodbyes to Helen, who has been diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer. A beautifully written and compelling novel of love and loss, the story begins with Helen collapsing in the kitchen after her morning run. Only her husband, Elliott, has been told by the doctors that she only has nine months to live. Keeping the secret from her and teenage Abby, Elliott plans a vacation at an exclusive resort to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary. While the story revolves around Helen, with third person narratives, Elliot and Abby, as well as their friends, deal with her decline.

Elliott is beautifully portrayed as the solicitous husband, who drinks to deal with his impending grief. Abby grows from a self-absorbed teen to grieving but competent young woman. The story glows with love and loss, and all the characters are believably portrayed.

A mild sexual encounter, drug and alcohol use make this a novel for older teens, and the subject matter seems more appropriate for adult readers. PN

Information on TriState Reviews

The Tri State Young Adult Review Committee has been in existence for more than 40 years. It has evolved over the decades into an organization comprised of dedicated professionals interested in evaluating new resources and sharing these findings with other professionals in the field. The committee is a fluid group that represents public schools, public libraries, and private schools in the Tri-State area of PA, DE, and NJ. You can see a list of our members and additional information on our website: www.tristatereviews.orgChairpersonLinda McNeil

Just a few words....

Classroom teachers and librarians will want to check out this blog to read about some books and media that our group receives throughout the year. As chairperson, I will be sharing tips, tools, and cool reads that are of interest currently. Tristatereviews prepares a Books of Note yearly. That list is extensive but not correlated to this blog. Please leave your comments about these books for others to read. Then check out our sister site (BookPushinTechie.blogspot.com) that covers technology in education.Linda McNeil, chairpersonBookPushinTechie@gmail.com